Sunday 5 July 2015

Materialism (Equivocations Episode #1)

The word materialism has multiple meanings that can become confused (sometimes deliberately). Materialism can mean (roughly): the philosophical view that all that there is, is made up of energy and matter, and by understanding the laws of how these things interact we can (in principle) gain an understanding of how the universe works. I'll call people who hold this view materialists. Materialism can also mean (roughly): an excessive focus or valuing of material goods, i.e. jewellery, cars, fashion items, etc. I'll call people who this term applies to materialistic.

By giving these views separate labels it is clearer to see that they are distinct views. A materialist might prefer to leave an austere life, forsaking material wealth, and focusing on matters of spirituality and love. There is no reason to suppose that a materialist is materialistic. Similarly, someone who is not a materialist, say a Christian who believes in souls and a heavenly realm, would not be a materialist as they believe in more than a material universe. They could however be rather materialistic. While not all Christians are materialistic, it is quite clear that many can be and are.





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